


Match, Love

by orphan_account



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tennis, Attempt at Humor, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Tennis!AU, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 04:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6359695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard being Oh Sehun, especially when an annoyingly talented Chinese player keeps on getting on your nerves and mind (and maybe heart).</p><p>[two-shot; next chapter should be posted sometime withing the next week or two]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> mmm so like all of my fics this is un-betad and trashy

Sehun frowned. His shirt was soaked in sweat, and his slim, wiry seven-year-old frame was tired to the bone. His father fed him another ball, making him run the the far reaches of the court and stretch out his arm as far as he could. Though he was small, he played with a full-sized racquet to get maximum power, and it just barely managed to push the ball over the net.

From the other side of the net, Sehun's father called out crossly, "No! More topspin, don't just push it over."

Sehun breathed heavily, not quite ready to receive another feed. He walked back to the center of the base line slowly, trying to catch his breath. 

"Faster; each moment you waste walking is a moment you waste of becoming a champion!"

                           x

It's not that Sehun didn't like tennis. He hated it.

Except when he didn't. He was skilled, no doubt, what with years of training under his father, who had played professionally on the tour but torn his ACL just short of the Australian Open finals. By practicing relentlessly during recovery, the senior Oh only exacerbated the injury, and was left unable to play competitively ever again.

So he channeled his energy and drive into his son, who received his first racquet at the age of three, when he was too young to know that most kids had a life outside of a sport. The television was only turned on during Grand Slams and a few other international tournaments; the radio set only to spirts stations. Posters of famous players decorated Sehun's walls. Just as some kids revered their favorite singer or actor or basketball player, Sehun revered the tennis stars.

At some point, Sehun realized that his life wasn't normal. It couldn't be, getting up and going to bed at ridiculous times to squeeze more practice in, spending every weekend away from home to travel to tournaments, beating high schoolers before he himself even entered middle school.

It wasn't normal to have your father watch you play a sport like his life depended on it, hanging onto his seat the way viewers at a famous violin soloist's concert might. It wasn't fair to be shouted at and forced to practice even more, if that was possible, when you lost a small tournament, let alone a large one. It wasn't normal, but it was all Sehun knew.

                           x

He made friends at school, even if he failed more tests than he cared to admit, falling asleep right on his desk. Kyungsoo, the champion boxer, who was dating Jongin, one of the best basketball players in the state as well as the coach's son (and another friend of Sehun's). Chanyeol, the quarterback, and his boyfriend Baekhyun, the star forward of the soccer team. How any of their parents, especially Jongin's, excused their rampant homosexuality, Sehun would never know. Apparently, neither would the entire female population of the school, who kept on attempting to flirt with them.

Sehun wasn't so bad himself. Being the number one tennis player in the region at the tender age of fourteen, he received 'more than his fair share of confessions', according to Chanyeol. But he rejected them all, knowing he would never have time between practice and tournaments. Hell, the only reason Sehun wasn't at some high-powered tennis academy (he could, he'd gotten plently of offers and scholarships to some of the best academies in the nation) was because his father didn't trust his training with anybody but himself.

Sticking a hand in the pocket of his skinny jeans (his father had frowned immensely, but Sehun had glared and disappeared into his bedroom, locking the door before anything could be said), Sehun put his feet up on the outdoor lunch table as he delicately sipped his bubble tea. 

Chanyeol leaned over. "Hey bro," he whispers conspiratorially. "Fifty cents you're looking at pictures of that tennis guy again."

Sehun snorted. "Wow, just fifty cents? And I will have you knkw that Lu Han his not just some 'tennis guy' and I am analyzing his form, not staring at his nudes or whatever you think I'm doing."

Chanyeol grinned in triumph. "I knew it!" he declared, holding out his hand.

Rolling his eyes and frowning, Sehun dug in his back pocket for a few moments before pulling put two quarters and slapping them in the giant's hand. He resumed the clip he'd found on YouTube, pausing every few seconds to scrutinize Lu Han's takeback or follow through or footwork.

Lu Han was a Chinese player who had joined the tour just two years previously, being four years older than Sehun himself. Already he was dominating, winning the U.S. Open in his first year and the French Open and Wimbledon in his second. Sehun followed his career with a vengeance, seeing as he would probably have to face the other when he went pro.

"--Sehun, Sehun, were you even listening?" Baekhyun asked, leaning over Chanyeol to snap his fingers in the younger's face.

Sehun blinked crossly. "What?"

"I said, we're all going out to the movies on Saturday. Wanna come?"

"Sorry, tennis clinic on Saturday. Lu Han's going to be there to speak to the attendees, and I managed to convince my dad to let me go. Not gonna miss it." Sehun shrugged unapologetically. He really had no desire to play the fifth wheel.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. "Right, try not to act like too much of a stalker, 'kay?"

"Good luck!" Jongin smiled at Sehun. At least one of his friends was kind.

                            x

Perhaps it was some combination of the time and the fact that it was Saturday, but getting up in the morning at five was a very horrible concept to Sehun. Even after enduring years and years of his father's morning practice sessions, Sehun still possesed a deep appreciation and ability to sleep. 

But he was prepared. The night before, he had placed all three of his alarm clocks (one blue, one green, one red) at the far side of the room, all set to go off at the same time. There was no escape.

Groaning, Sehun ambled sleepily over to the clocks, eyes still closed. He kneeled down to turn them off, but somehow managed to almost fall asleep on the thick shag carpet.

After a banana and some orange juice, he pulled on black tennis shorts and a grey baseball tee. He didn't particularly care for tennis apparel, but it was hard to find good athletic shorts with pockets, and Sehun burned through regular rubber soles way too fast, not to mention tennis shoes gave him ankle support. 

Slinging his tennis bag, packed the previous night with four racquets, a water bottle, and some snacks (he was a growing boy, after all), Sehun headed out to the old, beat-up car to wait for his father. In about a minute, he appeared, reluctantly climbing into the driver's seat.

"I still think it's a bad idea," he grumbled, turning the keys. "I could teach you here."

Sehun deliberately looked out the window. There really was nothing to say. If he tried to defend his position, they would end up in a fight, and Sehun would never get to the tennis clinic. So he instead opted to stare at the suburban houses in passing as the dark slowly turned into light.

The tennis center wasn't anything special, Four courts, a few ball machines. And yet it was everything to Sehun, who drank in the sight. 

"My name is Joonmyun, and welcome to this tennis clinic!" announced a smiling man to the fifteen or so students present. "Today, we're lucky enough to have a very special guest who'll speak and then assist in coaching. Lu Han, would you please put down that phone and get over here?"

The students clapped hesitantly, not quite certain of what was going on. From behind the thick netting entered Lu Han, still looking at his brand new iPhone. "I've got to beat my high score, and I'm so clo--FUCK!" he cursed as a sad melody echoed through the courts, signaling the virtual character's demise.

Joonmyun frowned. "Lu Han, these are KIDS."

The said 'kids' stared in complete silence.

"Right," Lu Han cleared his throat, having the decency to at least look ashamed. "I'm sure you already know who I am, but--"

"Lu Han!" Joonmyun chided.

Lu Han raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. Hi, my name's Lu Han. I'm a pro player, won the U.S. Open, the French Open, amd Wimbledon. Three slams, three different courts. Any questions?"

A lone hand presented itself, trembling shyly.

Looking around, Lu Han nodded, satisfied. "Seems I'm done here. Can we get to the playing part?"

Joonmyun just sighed, his head in his hands. "I knew this was a bad idea."

Lu Han clapped the other on the back cheerfully. "I'm sure it won't be so bad."

                            x

It was that bad.

Not much for Sehun, who dominated in all the drills they did, earning approving nods from Joonmyun, but Lu Han just sat on the edge of the court, playing on his phone. "I'm waiting until the end, when we do live ball," he explained when Joonmyun tried to get him to get up and help.

Finally, the endless drills were over. Sehun smirked. He was SO ready to destroy the other kids in attendance.

In fact, he was so engrossed in thoughts of his complete and utter victory, Sehun didn't notice Lu Han getting up and stretching, pulling out a racquet from the bag beside where he had been sitting.

"I'll be joining you for this excercise," the Chinese man announced excitedly. 

The class groaned inwardly. 

The game was fairly simple. Serve and try to win two points in a row against whoever was on the 'top' side of the court; achieving that would allow you to replace the top person. Whoever was on the top side counted how many people they beat, and at the end, whoever got the most points would play a set against Lu Han.

Sehun decimated the other players easily; his thirty points winning by a landslide over the student with the next most points (a measly three).

The other kids sent him envious glances, but Sehun was focused. Furthermore, he hadn't even broken a sweat yet, but he knew he had to be cautious. Lu Han was an internationally recognized player, and even with all the studying Sehun had done, he was sure to have not only more tricks, but more skill and experience as well. Steeling his competitive mind for the loss that was sure to come (but also wanting to put up a fight and make sure Lu Han remembered him), Sehun ran his hands through his bleached blond hair.

A coin was flipped to find out who would serve first. Heads; Lu Han. Sehun grimaced. Lu Han's serve was a thing of beauty: fast, accurate, and full of spin. 

Lu Han gave the younger boy a grin before he tossed the ball up into the air. Sehun watched the movement carefully, eyes never once wavering. Very difficult, as Lu Han's smile proved to be rather distracting.

The small, yellow ball rocketed at lightning speed towards Sehun. But he was prepared. His takeback already in place, he hammered a forehand back over the net.

The rally went on for about twenty or more shots, after which Lu Han slammed the ball a bit too hard, intending to end the point, but instead hit it out. 

Sehun grinned to himself. Long points were psychologically important. But he still couldn't get to confident.

Lu Han frowned.

                            x

Losing was always hard (it almost never happened to Sehun), but it was decidedly easier knowing that it had been extremely close (Lu Han won seven games to Sehun's five, and the last had dragged on for a while) and that the loss had been to a world-class player. 

Meeting at the net, they had shaken hands. 

"You were really hard to beat, actually much harder than some of the pros, and I'm not just saying that," Lu Han had mentioned, causing a light flush accross Sehun's cheeks. "I'll look forward to seeing you on the tour."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sehun is ready for the press. He is ready for the long, grueling matches. What he is not ready for, however, is Lu Han.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol as promised the second chapter albeit a week late plus i binge-wrote half of this late this night and the lil divider-x's are all over the place oh well

The seats around the court weren't anything even remotely close to full. Sehun frowned at them, determined to make it to the finals of the U.S. Open, where people would have no choice but to come and watch him play.

It had been his goal, in the two years since the tennis clinic, to beat Lu Han on the big stage. The Chinese boy hadn't left his thoughts, and it became Sehun's ultimate goal, even more than breaking tennis records and winning all of the Grand Slams to beat Lu Han. 

Meanwhile, Lu Han had been having two great years. He had gained four more Slams and a number of smaller tournaments, and broke the record for most weeks at number one. He only lost eight times, almost impossible and most certainly unheard of, and made the cover of 'Sports Illustrated' and 'Gentleman's Quarterly'.

All this only furthered Sehun's determination to win. He was going to make the older boy know the name of Oh Sehun!  
    
                             x

"SEHUN! SEHUN! UP HERE!" Chanyeol yelled loudly and waved from the seats close to the court Sehun had gotten for his four closest friends and his mentor, Joonmyun, who he had gotten close to after the clinic. His parents were on the opposite side, and Sehun's father glared openly at the five males.

"Don't mess this up," he had said to his son oh so lovingly before stalking up to his seat. "You know how much this means to me."

Sehun had just sighed, something he had been doing a lot lately. He walked onto the court to face his first opponent.

                             x

The man Sehun had been set to face had been on the tour for over five years, but hadn't won any major titles. Sehun crushed him with an easy grace, not afraid to be hated for his lack of respect.

And hated he was, the reporters calling him "a disgrace" and "unprofessional". 

But they also called him talented. Extremely so.

Sehun, however, had eyes only for the other side of the bracket, where Lu Han had won his two matches so far. The only way they would play each other was if they both reached the finals. So that's where Sehun set his sights.

He trained with a ferocity unequaled by amy of his peers. Even his father was surprised, if supportive. The rest of Sehun's friends warned him of blowing out his knees, or his tendons, but he was driven.

Sehun rose quickly through the bracket, rank going up with him. It was when he beat the world number 23 in the third round that people started to really take notice, more and more coming to his matches. He was touted as the most promising rookie of the year; no, decade; no, generation! 

But Sehun didn't let it get to his head. He continued working compulsively, on the courts as much as he could and in the weight rooms when he couldn't. 

So it wasn't that much of a surprise when Sehun beat the number 12 ranked player in the world and advanced to the finals. He was gratified to see that Lu Han would be his opponent.

It was strange, the way homecourt advantage worked, as Sehun found. If people liked you, it was amplified. It was, of course, always present, but even if the opponent was from another country, if your people liked your opponent, you were just sliced liver.

This was unfortunately the case with Sehun. He was good-looking and had superb form so he had a few fans, but Lu Han had been around for longer and was also popular, sweet, and handsome. The Chinese man was hailed as a shoo-in for the title.

That just made Sehun more determined. Homecourt advantage could fuck itself.

He licked his lips as he stepped out on the court, tennis bag slung over one shoulder. Not bothering to wave as he entered, Sehun confidently made his way to his bench.

Behind him, Lu Han walked out, waving as the people in the stands roared. He grinned at the masses, who screamed in approval. 

Leaning over his side of the net, Lu Han smirked at Sehun. "Oh Sehun! Don't think I'd forgotten you!"

The action threw Sehun off guard for a moment (not that he'd ever admit it). His mouth hung open ever so slightly, and Lu Han's smirk grew. The other wordlessly turned away to unpack his items. 

The coin was flipped. Sehun smirked, having won the coin toss and therefore allowed to serve first. He had worked especially hard on his serve, fine-tuned it like Lu Han's.

But he had a plan. He wouldn't bring out the big guns until it became apparent that he needed them. So Lu Han returned his first serve pretty easily. Sehun returned it, and thus the game began.

                           x

Sehun emerged from the match victorious, drenched in sweat but more satisfied than he had ever been in his life. It had been long amd hard, with more deuce points than Sehun thought he had ever played in his life and five sets.

 He looked up at his friends in the stands, where he could see them all jumping up and down, screaming and yelling like everyone else in the crowd. He felt the cameras trained on him, and Sehun looked up at the box where his family sat. 

His father gave him a grudging nod, and Sehun's heart swelled with pride and happiness.

He shook Lu Han's hand at the net. To his surprise, Lu Han lifted it up to his mouth, where he placed a soft kiss on it, giving his trademark smirk all the while. "Congratulations," he said sincerely. "You deserved it."

Sehun felt heat rising to his cheeks but did his best to fight off the urge to bite his lips or fan his face. "Uh, thanks," he returned. "You played really well."

Their conversation ended as they were quickly dragged away to receive their awards and speak to the media. Sehun felt a rush of panic, as he never actually thought of what to say. 

Lu Han, however, spoke with poise and grace, never once faltering and seemingly completely sincere in his congratulations of the younger player. Leaving the podium, the Chinese man winked at Sehun.

Then it became Sehun's turn, and his brain turned to mush.

"Um, Th-thank you all for coming out today." as he spoke, he gained confidence. "It's, uh, been amazing. A real dream come true," here Sehun paused, not quite knowing what to say.

 The crowd was stone silent.

"But, uh, Lu Han, I've actually played him once before. I lost pretty badly. But playing against him not only inspired me, it pushed me to become a better player. So thanks to him as well as my friends, whom I'm sure you heard seeing as they're very loud, and family, whom I'm incredibly grateful to for supporting me all this time."

This round, the audience erupts into applause and the interviewers finally seem satisfied, much to Sehun's relief.

                           x

Sehun and Lu Han faced off pretty often. In fact, they met so often in the finals of a major tournament that fans started associating them as rivals, and neither of them made any objections to the label. 

As Sehun won more and more, however, his father got more greedy. He started demanding insane practice and training hours, no days off or meeting with friends. Sehun didn't complain, because he saw his friends at every single one of his tournaments without exception, but the other four boys saw worrying changes in their youngest friend. His eyes had less light in them, and even his tight smile had almost disappeared. His replies were short and curt. The matches Sehun played were straight to the point, no mercy.

But when he played against Lu Han, he changed completely. He became the younger Sehun: determined, stubborn. Ready to win, and not willing to go down without a fight.

Lu Han seemed to like their games too. There was a certain energy on the court whenever they played, and people took notice.

                            x

It was their 15th Grand Slam meetup. They had both won seven of their matches against each other, and each wanted to win. 

Sehun prepared as usual, no breaks. His father pushed him harder than ever, knowing what the stakes were. He got about four hours of sleep total the night before, after his mom's pleas on his behalf finally found their way to his father's ears. 

Checking his phone, he found five texts, one from each of his friends. 

From Baekhyun, "we know u'll do gr8! don't push urself too hard, k?"

From Kyungsoo, "Hey kid, you've been ready for this your whole life. Don't waste it, take care of yourself."

From Chanyeol, "We believe in u Sehun!!! U got this!"

From Jongin, "Don't worry. You'll make us proud. No matter what."

Sehun sighed, turning off his phone and climbing under the too-soft covers of the plush hotel bed.

                             x

It was rainy, but that was no matter for the tournament officiators, who had been expecting something of the sort. The awning had been raised over the center court, giving it a dull and lifeless feeling without any viewers present.

Attendees started to trickle in slowly at first, only to arrive in throngs minutes later. Lu Han too arrived, and he and Sehun wordlessly fed each other warmup balls. 

                             x

The atmosphere was stifling as Sehun tossed the ball up in the air, getting ready to serve. He immediately fired off a rocket and breathed a short-lived sigh of relief as the ball landed insde the designated area. Lu Han hit back a killer return that Sehun scrambled to reach. The point continued for several shots before Sehun missed long, cursing himself as he watched the yellow projectile fly into the out zone.

                           x

It was about two hours into the match when Sehun realized that they weren't even halfway done yet, but the fans didn't seem to mind. In fact, while he was on break, he had heard whispers about it being the most viewed match in tennis history ever.

He felt the strain everywhere: his legs, his arms, his torso, his lungs, his mind. One look over at Lu Han and Sehun could tell that the Chinese player was feeling the same. Despite their rivalry, Sehun had always been able to tell what Lu Han had been feeling, which he tended to take advantage of in matches. All sehun wanted to do now, though, was lie down beside the other and be held.

Where had that come from? Sehun shook the thought out of his head forcibly as he hit the ball over the net, albeit too gently. Lu Han used the cheap shot to hit the ball to the far end of the court. 

The younger player felt his body reacting before he even thought. Of course, if he had paid a bit more attention to Lu Han's movement's, he would have noticed the spin the other had placed on the shot. 

The spin caused the ball to bounce in a completely different direction on impact with the ground, and Sehun reached out, alarmed, to hit it. As he did so, he felt his ankle twist in a sickeningly unnatural way, and all he could think was "Shit, what will Dad think?" before he ended up on the ground, staring up dazedly at the awning above him.

 All around him, he heard whispers. "Is he going to be okay?" "Did you hear that sound?" "What now?"

Sehun tried to stand up, only to feel a sharp pain run through his ankle. He clenched at it, grimacing, and Lu Han ran over, having frozen in place as though stuck in a trance.

"Are you okay? What--what happened?"

"Never mind," Sehun grunted. His face was screwed up in an effort to keep the tears away. He would have to drop out of the match.

Lu Han ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. Bowing his head, Sehun prepared for the lecture on being tougher that was sure to come.

Instead, he heard the other let out a harsh breath through his mouth. "You need to be careful," Lu Han began. "Please take care of yourself."

Sehun looked up in surprise. In the background, he could hear his friends clamoring worriedly, his father's footsteps approaching, the umpire calling out nonsensical commands, but all that mattered to Sehun was that moment.

He was roughly shaken to the present by way of his father's hands roughly shaking his shoulders. "Get up!" the man roared. "No son of mine is going to stay down."

Watching the ground, Sehun was only barely aware of Lu Han's shocked look. 

He mumbled, "Maybe I'm not your son, then."

"What was that?"

Suddenly emboldened, Sehun looked up. In a fierce whisper, he stated, "Dad, I've done what you wanted day and night for years. I've won matches. I've done my best to make you proud. But right now, I get the feeling I shouldn't continue playing with my ankle in this condition."

Face mottled with fury, Sehun's father was about to say something when Sehun continued softly, "Do you really want me to end up like you?"

Fury. Shock. Anger. Regret. That's what Sehun found on his father's face that day.

Stepping in, Lu Han added softly, "I'll drive him to the hospital, Mr. Oh." He reached an arm out to Sehun, who grabbed it and used it to lever himself upward and lean on the other.

                             x

"Is that...what he's normally like?" Lu Han dared to ask ten minutes later, safely in the Chinese man's bright red Ferrari and dtiving to the nearest hospital.

Not meeting the other's big eyes, Sehun simply nodded. 

"You..." Lu Han cut off his sentence with a hopeless sigh, and Sehun looked over.

Never had the Chinese player looked so handsome. Before he knew it, he was leaning in, eyes trained on the other's lips, and soon they were touching, Sehun's arms around Lu Han's neck.

Lu Han returned the kiss, arms encircling Sehun's slim waist. "Shit," he said, when they parted.

Sehun bit his lip, avoiding Lu Han's gaze.

"Shit," Lu Han repeated, going in for more.

                            x

They ended up learning about each other over bubble tea. With huge sunglasses adorning their faces to avoid being recognized, the two met in out-of-the-way cafes and diners and drive-thrus at three in the morning.

Sehun's father pushed him into physical therapy early, and the doctor is too afriad to say no. He isn't doing too badly, but Sehun feared for the loss of his form when he eventually, inevitably started playing again. Lu Han is nothing but supportive, however, and didn't mind that he hadn't told his parents about their relationship yet. 

They introduce each other to their respective friend groups, and they all get along swimmingly. When Sehun started to go to Lu Han's games to support his boyfriend, he sat with the Chinese man's friend and brought his own along.

Of course, the media took notice. There were rumors, speculations, but the two were happy together.

It is this happiness that pushed Sehun to try and reveal their relationship to his parents. No matter what, Lu Han promised to let him move in, so Sehun knew he'd be all right.

"Mom, Dad...I'm gay," he decided to just go for it. His mother was smiling, but his father's expression was bordering on seizure. 

Sehun took a deep breath. "I'm also dating Lu Han."

His father's face twitches.

"Just wanted to let you know. Anyway, I'll be moving in with him by the end of the week."

His mother clapped her hands together, and Sehun smiled. It was something he had been doing more often since he started dating Lu Han.

                           x

Late that night in bed at Lu Han's large flat, Sehun felt a pair of arms around his waist. "Hey," his rival/role model/boyfriend murmured against his ear.

"I told my parents about us," he replied.

"How did it go?"

Sehun shrugged. "My mom was okay with it. I'm not too sure about Dad, but that's not that big of a deal."

Lu Han chuckled.

                             x

And it really isn't a big deal. Because Sehun has Lu Han, and that's much more satisfying than any Grand Slam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very trashy but thanks for reading

**Author's Note:**

> i'll try and post the next chapter within a couple weeks, yeah? thanks for reading~


End file.
